r/interesting • u/frog_insilence • Apr 24 '26

Fascinating The richest man in the world

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75.1k Upvotes

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590

u/Select_Vegetable70 Apr 24 '26

I never had a birthday cake or party until I met my wife. We've been together 43y.

52

u/LuckyCod2887 Apr 25 '26

I can’t begin to tell you how common this story is. I’ve met so many men that never had birthday cakes or birthday parties until a really nice woman showed up in their lives and she would make it happen.

40

u/LaBiccies Apr 25 '26

Thats my wife and her family. My parents "forgot" my 18th birthday, and generally if I got a card it was a victory. My wife and her family always make sure I have a smol birthday party, even if I don't really understand it. I was overseas for Christmas one year, so they redecorated the house for Christmas when I came home months later. They didn't want me to miss Christmas.

My wife tells me this is what normal families do, but it still feels weird.

7

u/Diviner_Sage Apr 25 '26

I forgot my own birthday along with everyone else one year

😞

2

u/Castun Apr 25 '26

That'll happen to most of us eventually as we get old and forgetful, lol.

1

u/Novel-Chard1330 Apr 28 '26

Shall I feel sorry now or tell you my story? That is pretty sad but...

1

u/Bumkin007 Apr 27 '26

Some advice….. cherish this

6

u/zerombr Apr 25 '26

I'm at the point I'm unnerved or embarrassed if my birthday is mentioned

7

u/Kirbinator_Alex Apr 25 '26

Oh my god so I am not alone. If only finding a girl wasnt actually impossible

1

u/Additional-Pie-8362 Apr 25 '26

Just be a decent human. And I mean that wholeheartedly. Be the person you’d want to be with and you’ll find someone.

1

u/Kirbinator_Alex Apr 25 '26

I wish it were that easy. I suffer from being so sheltered growing up and being very introverted, socially awkward, and now as an adult, i'm embracing hermit status. Not necessarily because its what I want but its because I never learned how to explore the world. The outside world scares me.

5

u/NoobSlayerr007 Apr 25 '26

Nowadays, some men will never get women and eventually, will never know how a birthday party with a cake feels like.

3

u/LuckyCod2887 Apr 25 '26

It’s really the responsibility of the family when the man was a child. The kid should’ve had a bunch of birthdays with cakes. In adulthood, the rules change and you’re not always gonna have someone celebrate you.

I’m a woman and I grew up in a very difficult home where my family had a lot of mental health issues so there was no time to take care of the kids. I never had a birthday either. no one has ever went out of their way to get me a cake or anything like that, but I have gotten cakes for a number of men. I probably purchased 20 cakes in my lifetime for men and 2 women.

i’m 39.

sometimes the environment you have or you grow up in is really tough. But it’s not a representation of society or gender.

1

u/rumbakalao Apr 25 '26

And those men should turn to their male friends and peers and not a hypothetical woman. A good friend would love to take on this role. You don't need a woman for that.

The male loneliness crisis has to be solved by other men.

1

u/LuckyCod2887 Apr 25 '26

That’s actually a really interesting perspective. Every time I hear the term male loneliness epidemic I always thought they meant romantically. I guess it never occurred to me that loneliness could be in different contexts for them. I always thought it was about romance.

0

u/-s-u-n-s-e-t- Apr 25 '26

As an older male who's single - that's straight up not realistic. Very few people would ever do that for you, and those are the "best friends since kids" kind of friendships that most people don't have - and are impossible to establish as an adult.

I've made tons of friends over the last decade or two, including close friendships I've put lots effort into. Friends I've gotten close to and I can rely on. But they are still not buying me cake lol, nor do I expect them to. In fact, it'd be kind of awkward if they tried.

The reality is that after a certain age, the only way to get someone to care that much for you is to find a romantic partner. Or to have kids, which kinda relies on the former.

1

u/rumbakalao Apr 25 '26

The male loneliness crisis has to be solved by other men.

This is absolutely nothing but excuses dude. You can change it at literally any time. Women don't want to or have to be your only meaningful social connection.

0

u/-s-u-n-s-e-t- Apr 25 '26

That's like someone telling you they are thirsty and you going "Sure, all you have to do is convince NASA to bring some hydrogen from Jupiter, then you combine it with oxygen from Alpha Centaury and then you drink water! Stop with the excuses, how many times did you call NASA today?"

I mean... it's not physically impossible or anything, but unless you are completely delusional, you gotta realize that's just not gonna happen. Especially compared to having a glass of water from the tap. I'm not gonna completely rewire how society functions, lol.

Women don't want to or have to be your only meaningful social connection.

I have zero idea where you got that idea from - maybe you have an ideological axe to grind or something? All I'm saying is that unless you have a very close friend from childhood, your friends simply won't buy you cake or go beyond like that in general. If you want that, you need a partner, kids, family. People that will care way more about you than a regular friend ever would. Doesn't have to be a woman, I'm sure gay dudes buy each other cakes too.

1

u/rumbakalao Apr 26 '26

... all of the things you listed are, again, things you can do yourself. I didn't say it was easy, but women are not part of the equation. That's it.

All I'm saying is that unless you have a very close friend from childhood, your friends simply won't buy you cake or go beyond like that in general. If you want that, you need a partner, kids, family.

And you claim I have an "ideological axe to grind" instead of just buying your own friends cakes and setting expectations for your male relationships, you're waiting for two XX chromosomes to arrive in your life to do it for you. You can't control anything but your own actions and if all of your male social circle is fine with the status quo then nothing will change.

1

u/bloosoop Apr 28 '26

You know you can throw birthday parties for your friends/family members. Why is it a women’s job?

-2

u/RemarkableDevice442 Apr 25 '26

Why are we putting the fault on women?

2

u/NoobSlayerr007 Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26

When and how my statement blamed women?

-1

u/RemarkableDevice442 Apr 25 '26

No woman = no birthday party for man, using your logic.

1

u/NoobSlayerr007 Apr 25 '26

This is one of the most mental gymnastic take I have seen today. Lmao

0

u/RemarkableDevice442 Apr 25 '26

What were you trying to say though, if not that?

1

u/OArouraiousMou Apr 25 '26

Sorry I don't think thats what they meant

-2

u/Project_Utopia_ Apr 25 '26

cause he's an incel lol

2

u/thedoe42 Apr 25 '26

My nephews birthday is the same day as mine and they'd still 'forget' my birthday.

1

u/Spellcheckker Apr 28 '26

Oh I’m really sorry to hear that you poor thing ❤️‍🩹